This is a weird fuckin' book. 

It's so well written but everyone is terrible and I genuinely don't know how to review it because everyone except Ivy kind of... sucked. 

It brilliantly captures the way social media brainwashes us with silly buzzwords and makes us buy into the most RIDICULOUS things because of how glamorous the person selling it to us appears. And also how giving any man any kind of power over a group of women will go HORRIBLY wrong almost immediately and it just really made me angry, haha 

I cannot recommend this enough if you want to see social media and their gross ways in a new light and probably hate men a lot more than you already do 

Twice this year I've been in a terrible reading slump and Sara Raasch and this series has fixed me. I stayed up until two am to finish this because I just couldn't stop. I had to see it through. 

As much as I loved the first book, this one might be my favorite. There's just something about Kris and his quest to find somewhere he belongs and feel useful that REALLY hit home with me.  Making sure everyone else in your life is taken care of and always putting yourself on the back burner is just. VERY relatable to me, so I was very excited to see him work things out. 

ALSO. Can we talk about the burden of being the child that parents their parents? Because HOO BOY does Kris go through that, too. It made me tear up quite a few times, seeing him go through that guilt and learning to let his parents go and when to accept help and care from a sibling. Coal does such a great job of stepping up in so many ways in this book, but definitely when it comes to Kris. 

I would be remiss, though, to not tell you how much I adore Loch. Like. SO much. He's a grumpy, secret softie, artist who just wants to do right by his holiday, and his sisters and I knew he would be a favorite as soon as he showed up on the page. He just effortlessly saw Kris and that just!! Gets me.

I hope this series never ends and Raasch just keeps inventing new holidays and their courts and keeps it going. They're just wonderful and charming and all the best things about the holidays wrapped up. and paperback bound. 

No one does sapphic romance like Ashely Herring Blake. 

A sweet, funny, holiday romance that made me want to bake cookies and cuddle up on the couch with some cocoa while I was reading. 

 

 I'm gonna be honest, I was nervous about going into this one. I love Lexi and think she's hilarious, but what if I hated her book?

My hesitation was for naught, because this is a goddamn delight. 

Filled with the same quick wit Lexi has made a name for herself with on social media, SHOOT YOUR SHOT had me laughing out loud from the first few pages. The wit is sharp and on point, and I love that Lucy didn't mince words. Also, Lexi's ability to perfectly land a quip in text is next level. The jokes are clever as hell, and I'm so glad that translated into her writing.

If you love a bitchy main character (and you should), Lucy is going to land so hard with you. Her style, her thought process, her humor- it all just works. I love that she's just a messy, flawed human and it's accepted and not made into a whole arc to try and "fix" it. Plus, she's an aspiring tattoo artist. How badass is that?

Jaylen is also a really refreshing male main character. He's witty and cocky, but not a dick for absolutely no reason like we (often) see in hockey romance. Also, male vulnerability? In HOCKEY? Yes, please. I loved that Jaylen was the one going on this journey to accepting himself and really focusing on his mental health struggles because hockey needs more of that!! In sports!!

Also, a female protagonist who is openly queer and has an entire queer friend group that are often talking about their queerness in a sports book is really fucking cool, actually, and I'm so stoked this exists.

The one thing I disliked about this story, though, are the NHL team names. I could in no way come up with a bunch of brand new team names, but, Lexi, I'm so sorry, the Seattle Rainiers just did not land with me. I was however a very big fan of the "Groo / Boo" reference. So, thank you for that, haha

SHOOT YOUR SHOT is a witty, queer, celebratory love letter to hockey and finding that one weirdo that matches your freak and I had SUCH a great time with it. 

 Listen, if you tempt me a queer hockey book, I'm gonna read it. But this? THIS I relished in. It was marketed a A League of Their Own meets The Mighty Ducks and that SUCH a perfect comp. 

Part of me think Deibert is two seventh graders in a trench coat, because how was this so accurate to my middle school experience? 

Middle school is full of so many awkward situations- new crushes, navigating a parent's divorce, sibling relationships, a first fight with a best friend, trying something new on a very visible stage - it's no wonder Bea's feelings are all over the place! The story tackles each one with heart and such thought, and you really can't help but root for Bea and her gaggle of Geese teammates. 

Found family is one of my all time favorite genres, and what better found family is there than a hockey team? Watching the girls all work together and get better was one of the most rewarding parts of the story and they just! Tried so hard!

Also, I can't tell you how much I loved reading about a girl's hockey league where they talked about women hockey players! I read Sarah Nurse and Natalie Spooner's names in this book and it had me looking like that Leonardo DiCaprio meme where he's point at the tv. You know the one. Also any book that mentions my queen Tessa Virtue is a win in my book. 

A sincere, charming debut that I know is going to hit home with so many young kids. I cannot recommend this enough!